


Les Poissons

by Fornwich



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens, Star Wars Episode VIII: The Last Jedi
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Ben and Rey are siblings in this fic, Ben would never have become evil if he'd just gotten to be a merman, But here it is, Chewie is the best walrus, I can't remember what even caused this to be written, M/M, MerMay 2019, Rey and Hux are friends in this fic, marine biologist au, mermaid au, well sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-15
Packaged: 2020-03-05 19:24:01
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,737
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18835147
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fornwich/pseuds/Fornwich
Summary: It’s strongly advised to not to get too close, even if the walruses know the person well. However Chewie is the most tolerant and ridiculously mellow walrus that has ever existed, and Ben sits next to him with ease.“Uncle Chewie,” he begins earnestly, turning to the walrus. “I have a crush on a boy.”(or, a lighthearted modern fic about a professional merman and a marine biologist to be)





	Les Poissons

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zombiebrainsoup](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Zombiebrainsoup).



> For Xander (zombiebrainsoup on Tumblr), without whom this would never have existed. Thank you for many Skype chats back in 2017 about fandom and My Little Mermaid, and all of the shenanigans in between. I finally published this for you. Thanks for all of the encouragement. ♥

The first memory Kylo can clearly remember is his mother brushing his hair and asking with a smile on her face what he wanted to be when he grew up.

With the typical enthusiasm of a five year old that had seen far too much _The Little Mermaid_ , he informed his mother that he wanted to be a mermaid. She looked stunned, even slightly confused, but quietly mumbled that he should do whatever makes him happiest.

His uncle was a professional swimmer, his grandfather had even been an Olympic runner and swimmer. His family always vacationed to the beach, and he and Rey had even had surfing lessons since they were children. Water was pretty much the only constant in Ben’s life, and therefore it really shouldn’t have been surprising when against all odds he actually did become a professional merman.

There were teams, groups, t-shirts-- the whole shebang-- and Ben absolutely adored it. The aquarium became his second home, his ability to hold his breath for long periods of time-- for a human anyway-- unprecedented by any of his fellow group. Swimming with the dolphins and seeing the wonder on people’s faces as they saw him move and dance with them brought him both pride and joy in equal measures.

Of course, not everyone was as pleased with his life choices as he was.

“Honestly, Ben?” His father questioned, tone already dipping toward resignation. “Kylo Ren, professional merman?”

“It’s a stage name.” Ben stabbed into his potato with more viciousness than absolutely warranted. “And I like being a merman. It’s what makes me happy.”

And helped far more than therapy ever had, anyway.

“It’s lovely.” Rey says, putting a hand on his elbow and giving him her shining wide smile. “And Ben is really good at it. He’s given me some really good ideas for my thesis, you know.”

Her field was Ocean Engineering, and she was terrifyingly good at numbers in a way Ben had never been able to comprehend but one he did envy in some kind of way. While, obviously, the aquarium was nothing close to an ocean she did spend a lot of time there to think and watch his shows and Ben was grateful enough for it. Especially when she brought her exceptionally intelligent and handsome classmate Hux around with her so he could observe the octopi.

“It’s just… I thought you’d go into politics. Didn’t you like speech and debate? Or maybe become a professional swimmer like your grandfather and uncle, but a mermaid? Or even why couldn’t you do surfing instead?”

“Why can’t you ever be happy for me finding something I enjoy? Why is everything a fucking topic of discussion?” Ben asks, slamming his fork down on the table hard enough to nearly overturn his smoothie glass.

Rey sighs, gives him a pleading look. He glances to his mother, mutters, “Thank you, dinner was delicious.” and turns away to head out the front door into the suburban street. Down the block, he can see someone on the second floor balcony of their house, skinny legs propped up onto the finely painted wood railing and a gigantic textbook in his arms.

“Hey, sunshine!” He bellows, walking down the street confidently toward the ginger man who turns to give him the most disgusted expression he’s ever seen on anyone’s face.

“Ah, if it isn’t our infamous neighborhood Ariel.” He drawls in his heavy British accent, leaning over the balcony to sneer.

“Don’t hate me because I’m beautiful.” Ben smirks, “How does it feel to be taller than me for once?”

“For one, we’re almost the same height. It’s just that you have the hulking mass of a neanderthal. Secondly, the air up here is quite nice and it was quiet before you came along.” He gives Ben a rather pointed look.

“It’s quiet up there, you say?” He questions, tilting his head back and smiling sweetly. Hux’s eyes narrow in suspicion, as they probably should.

“It was.”

“Like a different world up there, huh?” Ben asks, casually.

Hux seems to consider this comment, and after a moment shrugs. Ben grins, predatorily. “When’s it my turn, wouldn’t I love… love to explore that shore up above~”

Hux looks positively alarmed now.

“Out of the sea, wish I could be~ part of that woooooooooorld,” Ben drawled, opening his arms wide like Hux would leap off the balcony into them.

Hux looks somewhere between horrified and disgusted again. “Ben I don’t know if anyone has told you this, but I haven’t heard something that terrible since Nicki Minaj’s Anaconda song.”

“Nicki Minaj is a wonderful woman.” Ben crosses his arms, “And I’ve never had anyone complain about my singing before.”

“Maybe because, I don’t know, they’re probably mostly deaf now?” Hux shakes his head, picks up his textbook and glares at Ben over the balcony. “Are you quite done? I have work to complete. Not all of us want to sleep with fishes and harass penguins or whatever. Some people want real jobs.”

He has to give Hux credit for one thing, he efficiently stabs where it hurts most without remorse and without really even recognizing it. Ben knows his expression has slipped into hurt when Hux’s _you didn’t use a coaster_ expression drifts more into confusion.

“Bye.” Ben says, hard and clipped as he turns on his heel away from Hux’s home. The aquarium isn’t far from the neighborhood, a good fifteen minute walk if he’s keeping a good pace. It’s usually publicly closed on Sundays-- with the exception of those who take care of the marine life-- but the owner of the aquarium --Snoke, if Ben remembered correctly-- allowed him to have an extra key made specifically for the purpose of practicing.

It’s an honor, and also vaguely creepy if Ben stopped to actually consider it. Nonetheless, he finds himself there and inside before he knows it. He whistles as he walks down the hallways, alerting any of the marine caretakers nearby that there is someone else there, and makes his way to the penguin exhibit specifically because his favorite penguin usually cheers him up.

BB-8 is a near all-white penguin except for the circular black marks on its belly and back, the fattest and fluffiest he’s ever seen, and a tiny chirp of a noise that sounds more like a tiny ‘beep’ than anything else. He was named specifically because he is round like a bb pellet, and eats more than any other penguin Ben knows. It just caught on when one of the trainers mentioned that “BB ate” all of the other penguin’s fish, clever thing that it is, and despite its size is quicker than any other penguin in the enclosure.

“Hey BB.” He says quietly, watching the penguin waddle closer and examine him for any kind of treat he may have. BB-8 knows rather well that given half a chance, Ben will smuggle treats for it. Today, he’s empty-handed. Despite that, BB-8 greets him with a little ‘beep’ and gently pecks the glass between them. He smiles, blows BB-8 a kiss and moves further into the aquarium.

“Don’t you have a family dinner tonight?” He hears a soft quiet voice ask, and Ben looks down to a thin pretty girl with big brown eyes and blondish brown hair.

“Who really wants to stay through all of that shit though.” He smiles, putting a hand on her shoulder and squeezing gently. He has never noticed how enormous his hands really are until he is around someone like her or Rey whose waist was about the size of one and a quarter of his hands.

“True,” she says, grinning, “So did you come in to practice, or do you want to go see Chewie?” Her eyes glitter in the light, and he feels some of the hurt at being so easily dismissed by Hux fade away at her easy acceptance.

“Lead the way, Molly.” He motions for her to go first and follows after her, watching the tanks as they pass them. Phasma the great white shark looms like some kind of creature of mythology, gigantic and all teeth in appearance but fairly gentle in all actuality. The small white fish that accompany her in her tank often come close to her and have yet to be ripped to shreds.

“Have you gotten the boy yet?” Her voice breaks into his thoughts, and he laughs a little at the question despite the sharp pang in his chest.

“Oh, please. I’m pretty sure I never will. I mean, he’s rather close with my sister.” He shrugs.

She gives a good natured eye roll, “I think you should just go for it and tell him how you feel, honestly. Anyone with eyes knows that you have a crush on him, and if he has half a brain he’s noticed. He hasn’t told you to stop, has he?”

“He doesn’t really need to.” Ben grimaces, “He’s made it pretty clear he doesn’t like me. He and my sister… they’re smart, engineering science type of people. They get along, oddly enough. He’s nicer to her than anyone else. Me? He’d probably shove a butter knife up my ass before anything else.”

She raises her eyebrows, “Kinky.”

“Oh, Molly.” He sighs, but he can’t help but to slip out a laugh anyway. She pats his arm, leading him up the short staircase to the small overlook leading into the walrus enclosure.

“Well you know my advice.” She said, leaning against the railing there easily. “If you want, Chewie III is an exceptional listener and will likely tell you the same thing I did.” She has a neutral expression, except for the slight twitch of her lips that indicates she’s probably having a good laugh on the inside.

“Duly noted, friend.” Ben snorts, pulling her into a quick hug before stepping down the steps into the walrus enclosure and makes his way toward the walruses. It’s strongly advised to not to get too close, even if the walruses know the person well. However Chewie is the most tolerant and ridiculously mellow walrus that has ever existed, and Ben sits next to him with ease.

“Uncle Chewie,” he begins earnestly, turning to the walrus. “I have a crush on a boy.”

He can hear Molly laughing from where he left her, fading into the distance as she leaves him to it.

Chewie gives a low grunt, twitching a flipper.

“I’ll take that as encouragement to continue.” Ben puts a hand on Chewie III’s soft warm blubber and pats. “So, Hux is this really hot guy who is in the same field as my sister, right?”

By the time he’s finished babbling the entire long monologue-- how they met, how he realized he was way too deep in when he started calling Hux “sunshine”, and subsequently got drunk enough to order a bouquet of red roses, pink camellias, and white chrysanthemums of which Hux had still never figured out the identity of the sender-- Chewie is snoring loudly.

“Thanks Chewie,” Ben says dryly, patting him again. “I’m so glad you’re willing to listen.”

One of the other walruses in the enclosure grunts loudly, another giving a loud rumbling groan in response. Chewie snored on, oblivious to all. It was something to be aspired to, really, Chewie’s inability to give a single fuck about anything. “You know what? I did actually learn something from this.” Ben says, sitting upright. “I should just not care, and text Hux how I truly feel.”

Not that Molly had been telling him that for the past several months, or anything.

Except that Ben Solo is secretly an enormous coward, and by the time he’s out of the inclosure, down the hall and has his phone at the ready-- it is always a bad idea to have a cell phone around large amounts of water, he has learned-- he’s already lost the nerve to press send.

“Why is everything so complicated?” He asks Phasma, groaning. She, of course, says nothing but would likely have a judgmental expression if sharks had human faces.

Now there was something he could never get out of his nightmares.

“Why am I quoting Avril Lavigne?” He asked to the empty hallway instead.

He feels like he’s jolting out of his skin as his phone buzzes in his hands and he drops it, leaping back and hissing as he feels the thick paned glass against his back. “Shit, Phasma.” He says, like it’s her fault and picks up his phone to read the text.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

Rey has informed me I was an asshole to you.

 

Slide to reply

Ben bites his bottom lip, squints at the text in thought. It wasn’t an apology, Hux just didn’t do apologies to anyone or anything, but it was still more of an admission of fault than he’d ever made before.

He slides the screen, putting in his passcode. He’s surprised to see the grey bubble with “...” still typing. It vanishes, then reappears, and vanishes again. More hesitant than Ben ever would have expected.

He types, _Nothing new, lol._ And presses send.

After a moment that seems like an eternity Hux’s reply bubble only says

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

I wouldn’t say anything actually meant to hurt your feelings. I thought you had thick skin.

 

 _Oh bby, if you only knew ;)_ he sends, because getting emotional with Hux is never a good idea. The man has the emotional range of a teaspoon or less.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

For christ sake, Benjamin.

 

He shrugs at his phone, looks back into Phasma’s judgmental shark face. She’s closer than the last time he’d looked over. She bumps her nose into the glass, floats backward lazily and slowly swims away. “Way to abandon me.” Ben says, glaring after her.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

I was trying to say I’m sorry.

 

Unexpectedly, a dark red flushes through Ben’s face and his heart rate doubles. It’s only an apology, and yet somehow it feels special. Something just for him that no one else gets. Something genuine.

_Hey, thanks sunshine. I mean it._

Hux’s “...” bubble reappears twice more, then Ben is left staring at his phone for a good three minutes until he finally gives up and puts his phone in his pocket. Feelings are complicated, far too much so. Swimming is simple, easy, something to ease the gears in his mind that never cease to stop turning.

He goes to the dolphin enclosure where he typically does his routines, sitting on the edge of the water and smiling down as the dolphins greet him, swimming enthusiastically near his feet.

Stretching and putting on his fins is a therapeutic process, and he is filled with a simple kind of pleasure just examining the intricate black scales and how they glitter dark blue and purple in the light. A simple galaxy wrapped around his legs, special made for him. He takes a deep controlled breath and dips forward, the dolphins parting and meeting him as he rolls lazily in the water. His hair fans around him and he swims around in a slow lap, letting himself get into a kind of rhythm of moving his abdomen and legs together as one extended being becoming one with his fin.

It’s a kind of special experience, one he didn’t think he’d ever get used to once.

The water is warm, and he holds his breath for as long as he can before he has to surface. His only betrayal of feeling like a true merman, his all too human lungs. He could buy fins, could blend it onto his body for a seamless look, but there was no product in the world that could enable him true freedom to peruse the waters of the world without wearing a bulky mask and oxygen tank.  

He floats on his back for a moment, taking another deep breath before arching to dip back into the water and swimming downwards to playfully chase after the dolphins. He put his hand on the back of one, turning his head downward to kiss the head of another.

He lost track of how long he swam and twirled in the water, only breaking for necessary air breaks. It’s only when he pulls himself out of the water that he realizes how exhausted he truly is. He looks up in surprise when he hears clapping, shocked to see Rey and Hux standing just outside of the glass looking up at his platform.

“Lovely!” Rey calls, grinning. Hux, inexplicably, looks somewhat red from where Ben is standing. Then again, it could have just been the lighting.

“Thaaaanks.” Ben drawls, slipping his hands into the watertight seal of his tail and carefully taking it off, completely unused to the feeling of his legs being separate again for one horrifying moment. He stretches them, shifting to sit crosslegged as he carefully checks over his fin and ensures everything is treated and well before putting it away where it will be ready for him again and heading out of the enclosure to meet up with Rey and Hux.

He doesn’t bother putting on the shirt he’s carrying, since it’s still wet. “How long have you been waiting? How did you even get in?”

Rey rolls her eyes, “Like I didn’t make a copy of your key first chance I got. I love aquariums.”

Ben’s eyebrows furrow, “I’m 90% sure that was illegal.”

“Anyway,” she ignores that statement, “we showed up when you were already in.”

Ben glances at the dolphins, which have converged near the glass excitedly, and back at Rey. Hux still is red, even this close. “Did I miss something important?” He asks, feeling a blush creeping up the back of his neck.

“No, I didn’t know Hux apologized already. I was going to make him do it in person.” She nudges Hux’s side, and Ben ignores the spike of definitely-not-jealousy in his stomach. Nope. He is a mature adult, and his sister deserves to be happy.

“And then just stayed for the show?” Ben asks, giving her a small smile. She pats his chest, her hand tiny against the expanse of his pec.

“Yeah pretty much. I don’t know if I ever mentioned it, but I like your tail. It matches your hair.”

“Thanks.” Ben said, his smile far more genuine that time.

“You’re good. At the whole…. Mermaid thing.” Hux says quietly, eyes trained on the dolphins and avoiding Ben’s gaze altogether.

“I try.” Ben leans back against the glass, and Hux’s eyes rove over him before finally settling on his face.

“It’s still a stupid job in general.” He says, sharply. “You pull it off, though. Congratulations.”

Rey tilts her head at him, absolute confusion overtaking her face.

“Uh.” Ben responds, obviously the king of taking compliments effortlessly, “Cool. Thank you. Anyway, I’m starved after that. Want to grab a milkshake? Bring all the boys to the yard~”

Rey smiles politely at his singing, Hux massages his temple and gives him a look but says nothing of it. The whole thing is so entirely strange that he almost feels like he’s fallen into an alternate reality or something.

“When do I congratulate you on dating by the way?” He asks, with absolutely no idea why he even asked in the first place.

Rey looks absolutely offended, and Hux’s eyebrows raise high on his face. “What the fuck Ben?” Rey asks, “Can’t a girl have male friends without being their girlfriend?”

Ben looks dumbfounded, and she takes pity on him. “I mean, I know you’re not like that. Or you didn’t mean it in a bad way, but seriously? Hux is gay. Shouldn’t you know that? Gaydar and all?”

Ben rolls his eyes, “You just told me off for assuming your male friend was your boyfriend and now you’re assuming I have a working gaydar because I’m a homo. Can I remind you of the time I tried to kiss Rodinon and he decked me in the face?”

“Do you just have a thing for gingers?” Rey asks, amused.

Ben laughs, not even seeing the way that Hux stiffens into perfect posture at that comment. “More like I have a bad habit of attaching myself to people who absolutely hate me.”

Rey sighs, loudly.

The trip to get milkshakes is awkward at first, then settles into an easiness as Rey gets Hux to give a passionate speech about octopi and their color changing abilities. _He would have made a fantastic public speaker_ , Ben thinks, _when he can make even the most mundane topic fascinating._

He only realizes he’s openly staring when Hux clears his throat and glances over at him with an eyebrow raised. Rey starts talking about oil rigs and their effect on the ocean, and he’s lost to the easy drifting relaxed atmosphere between them.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** 1m ago

Is it true you like gingers?

Slide to reply

 

He looks up to give Hux a bewildered look at the random text. He’s enraptured in Rey’s explanation. The man is a ninja, Ben decides, something that Chewie should be made aware of immediately. Since apparently his best form of therapy by shrink is a disinterested lazy walrus.

 _I put up with your salty ass, don’t I?_ Ben sends, twirling his straw around his milkshake idly.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

Salty is such a stupid fucking term

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

Just answer the question.

 

Ben is beginning to feel like this is some kind of trap. He swipes upward to read through the news headlines before sliding back down to the messages and opening back up to his home screen.

 _Yes._ He sends.

Hux stares directly at him, giving him an indiscernible look.

Before he loses his nerve, he sends _there’s a reason I call you sunshine, you dipshit._

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

why?

Slide to reply

 

_Oh god are you really going to ask me to spell it out?_

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

Believe it or not, being ginger doesn’t give me telepathy.

 

Ben glances over at Rey, animatedly talking with her hand and stabbing the table with her index finger in her emphasis. Hux is watching her, his attention seemingly devoted to her. However, the message still pops up on his screen.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

Stop staring at me.

Slide to reply

 

 _You’re a fucking ninja._ He sends, instead.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

Family gatherings were good practice for memorizing the keyboard. Stop avoiding the question.

 

_Bossy. Okay fine. The ultimate light in the sky, warmth, all that sappy shit. Okay? It wasn’t just a sun= red/yellow ginger ref okay. You already hate me why not fess up to that._

Hux jumps into the conversation with Rey, both of them deep into some scientific conversation that Ben doesn’t bother to try to keep up with. He finishes his milkshake, plays idly with the straw. It takes almost five minutes for Hux to finally send a message back.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

I don’t hate you.

Slide to reply

 

That was it.

Ben ignores the lump in his throat that forms suddenly, without warning.

_Can we go home?_

 

 **Rey** **🌼** just now

??

Slide to reply

 

Thankfully she didn’t look over at him, or make any obvious sign that the message was from him. Ben looked out the window into the desolate parking lot.

 _It’s cool. I’ll walk._ He sends instead.

He stretches as he gets up, reaching a long leg over Rey to climb out of the booth seat. She grunts in annoyance, but her expression is concerned as she looked up at him.

“I’m exhausted. I’ll catch up with you kids later.”

“Hux is older than you.” Rey says, idly. Her heart isn’t really in the correction.

“Whatever.” He gives a little wave, stepping into the night and starting the long trek home.  

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** 1m ago

Wait up.

Slide to reply

 

Ben sighs loudly, glaring down at the sidewalk as he slows into a kind of angry shuffle. He really doesn’t want to talk to Hux and hear that he doesn’t hate Ben, but they are still _friends_ , which is true but still utterly humiliating to hear from someone he really likes.

 _Maybe that’s not what he’s going to say_ , some part of his mind supplies that sounds disconcertingly like Molly.

He stops and glances over his shoulder just to make sure she isn’t actually there. She isn’t, but Hux is hurrying after him doing a half-jog that reminds Ben of a show pony doing a trot.

“Where’s Rey?” Ben asks, when he’s within hearing distance.

“She said she forgot a couple things at the store and she’s going to head over there.” Hux shrugs, “I know she wanted us to talk anyway.”

“About your appalling lack of appreciation for Disney princesses?” Ben frowned, glancing away from him.

“I was less appalled by the Disney movie reference than your singing, honestly.” Hux huffed, “But that wasn't the point. Stop deflecting.”

“You can’t tell me what to do, you’re not my real dad.” Ben said, reaching for anything that might make Hux laugh and push away the impending very real conversation he’d rather avoid. He didn’t take rejection well, he never had.

“You could use a real one,” Hux rolled his eyes, “Then you would make better life choices, probably.”

Ben glared at him, “We’re totally not having a conversation about our fathers.”

“You started it.” Hux pointed out, “And that’s not what we should be talking about anyway.”

Ben looks back down at the sidewalk. “Do we have to have any kind of conversation about it? I embarrassed myself enough.”

Hux sighs, loudly.

 

 **Rey** **🌼** just now

Tell him how you feel!!!

Don’t chicken out

Slide to reply

 

She sent a series of eggplant and chicken emojis with it. Ben would smile if the situation weren’t terrifying and a little absurd.

Kylo Ren, professional merman brought down by a human boy. His life was truly becoming a Little Mermaid cliche if he’d ever heard one.

“Don’t sigh at me in that tone of voice.” Ben mumbles, frowning.

“You know what Ben? You’re right, let’s not talk about it if you’re not mature enough to have an adult conversation.” Hux says, rather irritatedly.

“It’s not that! Fuck, Hux I don’t want to hear you say that you don’t like me alright? Yeah, you don’t hate me. But you’ve never given me any sort of indication that you actually--” A truck blared its horn loudly as it passed, far too close and making Ben jump. Hux looked very unimpressed. “--want me or anything.” Ben finished, trying to retain at least some dignity.

“Oh? Then why am I standing here?” Hux asked, sharply. “Why did I follow you out? Why have I continued this absurd conversation? Ben, you’re oblivious as fuck.”

“I--” Ben’s brain short-circuits, leaving him stranded there staring at Hux with a rather unflattering gaping sort of expression. “I talk to walruses. His name is Chewie III. I call him Uncle Chewy though, because… well, I don’t know. He’s a great listener even if he falls asleep every time I start talking. He’d be a great therapist. We should get him licensed as a therapy walrus.”

Hux looks very taken aback. “Ben.”

“And his caretaker is called Molly and she told me to tell you how I felt, so I started talking to Chewie--”

“ _Ben_.”

“--which didn’t really help because obviously he didn’t give any real advice but--”

Hux puts his index finger directly over Ben’s lips. “Shut up.” He says, gently. “You’re panicking.”

“I’m… I _am_ panicking.” Ben agrees, swallowing hard. “You probably think I’m insane.”

“The mermaid obsession honestly was the first indication, so don’t worry about it.” Hux says. “Are you okay now? Do you want me to repeat the question?”

“Why you came after me?” He asks, voice so small he hardly recognizes it as his own.

“Yes.” Hux raises an eyebrow.

“Eh?” Ben articulates, holding a hand out like it’s a question and Hux can fill his palm with the answer. “Because you don’t hate me.”

“Yes.” Hux says, exasperatedly.

“Because you might possibly kind of maybe want…” Ben gestures vaguely.

“Any other adjectives you’d like to throw in there?” Hux asks with some amusement.

“Fuck off.” Ben frowns, hunching again.

“Yes, to answer your trail of thought.” Hux crosses his arms. “When you’re not being weird about all of it.”

“I thought weird was part of the reason you liked me.” Ben shrugs.

“Not when it involves acting like a lovesick twelve year old with emotional issues. Have more confidence in yourself.” Hux glares at him, like it’s a direct accusation.

“Who needs confidence.” Ben tries for nonchalance, and fails with what feels like his entire respiratory system relocating somewhere in the direction of his throat.

 

 **Rey** **🌼** 2m ago

Did you tell him?

Slide to reply

 

“When is your next show?” Hux asks, and Ben looks over at him in surprise.

“You’d want to go? I thought it was a stupid profession to you, or whatever.”

“It’s interesting to watch.” Hux says, shrugging.

“Well. Um, it’s next week. The official one, I mean. I go to the aquarium often to practice though.” He said, “The dolphins don’t judge. Not like Phasma.”

“Phasma?” Hux asks with some amusement, “The great white shark Phasma?”

“Exactly.” Ben says, crossing his arms. “She gives you that look that makes you feel like a total moron, even when you haven’t actually done anything.”

“Or maybe it’s just you.” Hux said, “But she is a fascinating specimen to study.”

“Nerd.” Ben mutters, and smirks as Hux nudges him hard with an elbow.

“Did you really think I was dating your sister?” He asks, after a long three minutes of silence. Ben has been counting, walking down the sidewalk and biting his tongue not to say anything really stupid.

“Yeah. You two have a lot in common. You’re both smart. I mean, why not?” Ben glanced over at him, and away. “I didn’t know you liked guys.”

“Oblivious.” Hux mutters under his breath. Louder he says, “Not everyone is a stereotype.”

“Mm, but not everyone is a real life mermaid.” Ben says, with a sense of pride.

“True.” Hux acquiesces.

Hux leaves first, since his house is closer. Ben shifts his weight from foot to foot nervously, but Hux only wishes him a good night and disappears inside like everything that had transpired between them was an oddly realistic dream and he’d wake up asking himself _‘what the hell’_ in the morning.

 

 **Rey** **🌼** just now

??????????

????

?

Slide to reply

 

More eggplant and chicken emojis followed the excessive punctuation.

_I told him. Nothing really changed though._

 

 **Rey** **🌼** just now

Wtf you two.

Well, I’m glad you at least talked!

Now I can leave the parking lot.

People probably think I’m staging a drug bust out here.

 

_Haha, DEA Rey taking down the crack houses._

 

 **Rey** **🌼** just now

Excuse you this is the nice part of town, so it would be the pot smoking frat houses.

 

_Fair point. Get ‘em Rey._

 

 **Rey** **🌼** just now

You weirdo. I’ll be home soon, ok?

 

_Yup, I’ll be here._

 

 **Rey** **🌼** just now

♥ ♥ ♥

 

A notification banner pops up at the top of his screen, only saying _“_ ** _☀_** ** _Sunshine_** ** _☀_** _”_ as stupid as it is, it still makes Ben smile.

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

I’ll go to your next show.

Just text me the time later.

Slide to reply

 

_Okay sure. ♥_

The ellipses pop up a few times, but the only thing he texts back is

 

 **☀** **Sunshine** **☀** just now

Good night.

 

_Yeah. ‘Night Hux._

The music is loud outside of the water, today. Rey and Hux are sitting at the edge of the water, watching him play with the dolphins and work his way through his routine laps. He wanted to practice before the show, wanted Rey to stop staring at her textbook with such a frustrated look, so he invited her along.

Somehow, along the way, Hux had come along too. Ben still wasn’t sure what to say, what they even _were_ at this point. Hux… didn’t hate him.

Hux also wasn’t making much of an effort to move beyond their odd antagonistic friendship either. He seemed content to just talk marine biology with Rey like it was some kind of foreplay and make snide remarks to Ben whenever he got a chance, which was not encouraging in the least.

That was something to discuss with Chewie III, he supposed.

He could play whatever he wanted when it was just him alone practicing-- supposedly-- so he let the bass move through him and echo throughout the room.

The dolphins were more hyperactive today, swirling around him and leaping from the water though there were no treats offered. He lazily flips in the water, chasing the tail of one of the dolphins and reaching for it.

The dolphin turns toward him…

And makes a beeline straight toward Hux and Rey. Ben tilts his head in confusion, heading toward the surface for air and flicking his wet hair away from him as he takes in a deep much needed breath.

“Ben--” Hux starts, but whatever he would have said is cut off by a loud dolphin chatter of excitement. The others swarm to circle around Rey and Hux’s feet shallowly dipped into the edge of the water. “What are they doing?” He asks instead.

“I don’t know, they usually aren’t like this.” Ben frowns. Then again, other people usually aren’t at the edge of their water.

“They’re cute!” Rey smiles, leaning over to look at them.

“Well dolphins are smart animals, they probably--” Hux yelps as a dolphin grips onto his leg and pulls him down into the water, the other dolphins circling as Hux is dragged under.

“Ben!” Rey yells, but he’s already dove straight down into the water after him. He’s had a lot of experience with this tail by now. He is, after all, a professional merman.

Hux reaches for him, and he grabs Hux in his grip. Without thinking, he presses his lips to Hux’s and breathes air into him. He can hold his breath longer, he’s used to this. This is what he does. Hux is in his world now under the water and he’ll be damned if he lets Hux drown before he sees the majesty of it.

Hux stares at him, hands on Ben’s shoulders as he carries them both upward to the surface and the edge of the water, and sets Hux free.

 

**Author's Note:**

> This fic will likely never be continued, but in the spirit of Mermay, I couldn't let the draft continue sitting in my word docs forever. I hope you all like it as much as Xan does.


End file.
